A livestock scale is one of the most important pieces of equipment a livestock breeder can have. From weighing offspring to check for healthy weight gain and obtaining proper weights for accurate dosing of meds to general health checks, a scale is an important foundation block in any breeding program.

Mike Safley writes in his book The Alpaca Shepherd: “You will need a scale to monitor (cria) growth rates.”

Marty McGee Bennett of Camelidynamics researched her needs for a scale. She decided that the PS 250 (Now PS 500) alpaca/llama scale would serve her mixed herd quite well and uses the PS 250 on her farm for all weights. See what Marty McGee Bennett says about the important need for a scale.

Hi Jay,
We have now been using the Brecknell Alpaca Scale and I really like it. It does a great job of weighing accurately and it is light enough to move out to our weighing area which is outside and the battery pack makes that really easy. I am attaching a cute photo (right) for you to use if you want to. You can even see how much this guy weighs. We use it for our llamas and alpacas and it is fabulous!
Marty

These features are not available anywhere else because we’ve developed these scales specifically for alpaca and llama breeders
All at a great price (we buy in truckload quantities directly from the manufacturer and pass on the savings)

Here’s the pic! This one weighed 80#…..the others came in from 65-78# (we had 8 in all). Great use of our new Alpaca scale! Thanks Jay!
Leslie A Brock
Alpacas of Verona
Verona, KY
leslieabrock@insightbb.com

Scale Specifications

Feature

Brecknell
PS500-42S
Fits our Alpaca Chute

Item #

SCALEA

Max Capacity

500 lbs

Platform Dimensions

42”(L) x 22”(W) x 2”(H)

Platform Material

Stainless Steel

Weighing Increments

.1 lbs

Operating Temp

14˚ – 122˚ F

Battery back up

4 AAA Battery Backup included

Hold feature

Included

Warranty

1 Year

Weight

60 LBS

Lead Time

In Stock

Jay’s Note:
PS500
This scale is the best value. This is a real workhorse. I’ve used this scale on my farm since 2003. It actually lives on a concrete pad under an overhang outside my barn. The indicator is protected from the weather.

The scale should be fairly level. Level the scale using the adjustable feet on the scale to be sure that all four feet make solid contact with the surface beneath.

The surface that the scale is resting on should be of solid construction and not prone to vibrations.

Utilize a stable AC power supply. Avoid heavy motorized equipment on the same power line.

Wipe clean, do not spray with water

Mount indicator if possible to keep it out of harms way

Route/protect the power supply cord and the cable between the platform and the indicator so the animal being weighed can not get caught in the cable to avoid risk of injury to the animal and damage to the scale.

Do not drop the scale on the load cells (“feet” on the underside) when moving the scale or drop anything onto the scale which can possibly shock load sensors.

Warm-up the scale before use in the cold weather. This can be done by bringing the indicator inside overnight before use the following day. The indicator is easily unplugged from the base at a male/female connector in the cable between the base and indicator.

Always connect the AC adaptor to the indicator head before connecting to the main power supply.

Disconnect the main power supply before disconnecting the AC adaptor from the indicator head.

Please read thru the user’s operating manual before using the scale and for future reference.

If putting the scale in a hole in the floor consider that the cord from the scale platform to the indicator display comes out of the side of the scale platform. Therefore one may want to add ½” to the 21 ¾” dimension or plan on making a small notch later on for the cord.

A suggestion is to tape all four edges of the non-slip mat to the stainless scale base to keep the mat from slipping around or blowing in the wind. I used heavy duty duct tape like “Gorilla Tape”.

This is what can happen if the rubber mat isn’t fastened to the scale.

I use heavy duty Gorilla brand tape for a long lasting application.

Place the Gorilla tape completely along all four edges for a secure application that will last many years.

The finished product looks clean and is very functional.

PS Series Scale Trouble Shooting (same for SCALESCO scales)

When scale issues arise there are a number of simple things that could be wrong. First inspect all the wiring for breaks; run your hand along the wire looking for rodent chew marks, breaks, and other damage. If the wires all seem to be fine your next step is to inspect the wire connection points. One can inspect the solder joints of the scale by removing the two small screws from each end of the snap coupler that is located at the ends of your base cord and your indicator cord. Once you have removed the screws; the back half of the coupler will unthread, exposing the attached wires. Please see pictures below, also below is the solder pattern for rewiring if your wires have been pulled out.